Slitting device for folding machines



Aug. 17 1926.

F. S. GLINES SLITTING DEVICE FOR FOLDING MACHINES vFiled Sept. 11. 1922 law/627%? I 2 CLJ/WA orwe Patented Ang. 17, 192%.'

entran STATES PATENT oFFIcE.;

FREDERICK S. GLINES, F LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 VLGR'ENZ MUTHEB,

GF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS;

Application led September 11, 19422. Serial N50.- 587,267.

r1`his invention relates to a slitting device for use on foldingk and similar machines,.

and more particularly to such a device adapted to be manually operated independently of the operation of the machine, andl is designed `witlrspecial reference. to thatI` class of folding machines, usedV in. biiidiiig the edge of flexible material with what is i when going around concave curves, in order` that the tape may be applied smoothly with-A out curling or stretching at the edge. lt is impracticabie to use foruthis purpose the automatic vform of slitting device common to folding machines, since when such device is thrown into operation, it acts with such'` rapidity that it is apt to make a plurality of cuts before it can be thrown out of opf eration, which cuts interfere with securing a clean folded edge in cord binding work.

and break up the continuity of the folded edge. Heretofore, it has generally been cu.,- tomary for the machine operator to slit the tape at the necessary point or points with a pair of scissors, which necessarily slows up the operation of the machine, and may result in slits which are either too long or'too short. Y

The main object of the invention is the provision on a machine of the character described of aysimple and efficient slitting device; adapted to be manually operated at any time by the operator without interfering with the operation of the machine..

Another object of the invention isv the` provision of a slitting device which does not obstruct or interfere with the handling of.

the work during the operation of the maa shearing edge, set in the work-support of` the machine, a movable knife-blade co-op erating therewith, said knife-blade being normally below the surface of the worksupport, together with means for operating the `movable knife-blade either with the foot or hand whenever desired, so` that the knifeblade is raised above the Work-support and then released to cut the: edge of the tape or other material. Y i' i In the drawings illustrating my inventiom Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the end por-V tion of a folding machine of the character shown in thev Mutlier-Glines application hereinbefore referred to, havingja slitting device constructed and operated iii accordance with my invention applied. thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view olf the work-plate and mechanism mounted thereon. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view on line 3 3 in Fig. 2, showingl the movable knife in raised position, preparatory to slitting. F ig.l 4l is a similar View, showing the movable knife in normal position.V Fig. 5 isa transverse, sectional view on line 5-5 in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a portion of material hav ing a concave c-ur ve,vWithY the binding tape turned over on a portion ofthe curved edge and provided with a slit, illustrating the location and angle thereof. y i

In the drawings. is shownone form of slitting device embodying my invention applied to a folding machine of the type illustrated in said joint application hereiiibefore mentioned, to which reference may be made 'for a ino-re particular description of the con` 'the reference numerals employed in said application have been retained for such parts of the folding machinel as are shown herein ting device.

to illustratefthe application of mynozvel slit- Referring tothe drawings, 15 indicates l the lower arm andl the upper arm of the frame of the machine, 20 a freed-bar, Q` an idler roll, 22 a housing in which the feedbar is slidably mounted, and 24 a feed-foot formed on the lower eXtrem-ityof the feedbar, which coi-operates withthe idler roll for feeding the material forward in a step-bystep manner. a stud carried by a, split collar 28 constituting a part o ff the means for reciprocating the feed-bar 20 in the housing 22 at the neces- 26 designates a. link and 27` i arm 16 in such posit-ion that the guide-bar is held in a depending .position over the work; the guiding edge being adapted to engage the edge of'thematerial above the tape or binding material. j A split block 40 is adjustably mounted on the guide-bar and secured thereto in an adjusted vposition by a screw 41, and a helicalspring 43 mounted-on the guide-bar 35 between the-upper bearing 37 and the split block 40 holds the guide-bar in a'downward position, with the :split block Y 40in engagementwith-the lower bearing 38. This block is provided with a handle 44 for raising the guide-bar-'35out-of operative position, and the bracket 39khas a recess (not shown) to receive the end 47 ofthe split block to permitthe guide-barvto be turned and locked in inoperative position.

'A work-support 50 is lniounted upon the lend of the lower arm 15,and on the side toward the operator is secureda thin, stationary plate 53 having a turned-up, slightly hooked-over, thin edge lying oblique to the normal line of feed for Vwiping over the tape or bindingy to straighten it `asit is fed forward, preparatory to the turning operation. A plow or turner 58 turns the/tape over and around the edge of the material, anda presser 62 presses the tape down upon the -reverse side-of thematerialtobe bound. All

' of the -foregoing construction is fully sho-wn and describedin the joint application hereinbefore referred to.

The novel features of my invention reside in the slitting device, oneembodiment of which is shown in the drawings, comprising a block `having` a shearing edge 101 and a. knife-blade 102 provided with a shearing edge 103 to co-operate withthe said block.

,The former member `is secured within a recess in the work-support 50 in front of the plow 58 by a screw 105; the upper face of the block 100 being approximately inf the same plane as the upper face Vof the `Vworksupport 50. The knife-blade 102 is securedl by a hexagonally headed screw 106to" a: bar or lever 107; the knife-blade being provided with a slot 108 which permits it `to be adjusted along the bar or lever 107.v The latter member is in turnl pivotally mounted on a shaft 110, set transversely in side webs 111 and 112 of the lower arm 15; this arm being adapted to be rocked on theshaft for raising and lowering theknife to 'perform the cutting or slitting operation.

Preferably, means are provided for opery ating the'knife either by the hand or ythe foot of the operator, and these means may.

Vtreadle not shown. The upper end of the screw 114 engages the underside of theworksupport 50,.and the upward throw of the arm 107 may be adjusted by turning the screw 114 in one direction or the other in the arm 107, the set nut 115 serving to hold it in that position.

For operating the arm .107 by hand, a lever and aflat linger piece 121 may be secured to the lever by screw 122. The lever is V bent downwardly under the side web 112 and then upwardly, so Vthat the finger piece 121 is a short distance below the Awork-support and toward the operator where it may be easily reached during the operation of the machine. l

For holding the knife-blade in a downwardor normal position asv shown in Fig. 4, any suitable means may be provided suoli as the Vhelical spring 125 coiled about Athe shaft 110, having one end 126 yheld under the yend portion 127 of the lower arm 15 of the machine and the other end 128 held under the screw122; this .spring being under tension at all times. A

. The operation of my device is extremely simple. The knife-blade is normally held inits lowermost position by the spring thefblade' being provided with an angular recess 130 which engages the web 127. In this position the upper edge of the knifeblade is approximately in, or slightly below, the plane of the' upper face of the work-support 50, The .shearing edges of the knifeblade 102 and the block 100 are substantially perpendicular to the normal line of feed of the material through the machine, although it may be set at an oblique angle, if desired. The slitting device may be operated at any time by rocking the lever '107 on the shaft 110, either by means of the foot treadle or the finger piece 121, which raises the knifeblade, and then releasing the same, whereupon lthe spring 125 returns the knife-blade to its normal position, effecting the slitting operation. The knife-blade is, as a rule, under the material, and as itis raised it raises the edge of the material or the tape,

freeing itself therefrom, allowingA the tape 1 lll).

isea'eiif a machine of this character that the slit u." LA) should be oblique to the edge ofthe material being bound, and in Fig. 6 I have shown a piece of material 132 with tape 133 attached to the edge thereof, and partially turned` over and folded on the portion 154, and unfolded on the portion designated by 133. The edge of the material i312 to be bound is cut on a concave curve, calling for a slit in order that the tape may be pressed down on the reverse surface. In performing this work on material 132, it would be presented to the machine as shown in Fig. 2 in the same relative position that it is shownin Fig. 6, so that the slitting, although accomplished by a knife which is perpendicular to the line of feed, will still be oblique to the edge of the material as .shown in Fig. 6; it being observed that the slit in Fig. 6 is substantially parallel with the knife in Fig. 2. The depth of the cut may of course be regulated by the operator in adjusting the material, just before it is slit, in relation to the knife.

The cutting of the slit obliquely, as shown in Fig. 6, is an important feature, because if the cut were perpendicular to the edge of the material or oblique in the reverse direction, there would be a liability of the sharp point of the portion 133 of the tape catching on the plow and wrinkling up, forming a bunch or defective binding at that point. With the slit turned as shown, it slides by the plow without catching.

That I claim is: 1

l. In a folding machine, the combination with a work-support and folding instrumentalities of two cooperating shearing members mounted at a right angle to the normal line of feed and below the surface of said work-support, resilient means for holding said shearing members in normally closed position and manually operated means for opening said shearing members against the tension of said resilient means into a slitting position.

2. In a folding machine, the combination withv a work-support and folding instrumen- Vtalities of two cooperating shearing members mountedbelow said work-support, resilient means for holding said members in normally closed position and manually operated means for opening said members against the tension of said resilient means.

3. In a folding machine, the combination with a work-support and folding-instrumentalities of two co-operating shearing members mounted below said work-support, a spring for holding said members in a normally closed position and manually operated means for opening said members against the tension of said spring to accomplish the cutting action when said manually operated means are released.

a. In a folding machine, the combination, with folding instrumentalities of manually operated means for slitt'ng the edge tovbe folded; said means being mounted below the surface of the work support ano. underneath the edge of the material with its slitting edges transverse to the normal line feed.

In a folding machine, the cor bination, with folding instrumentalities, of means for slitting the edge to be folded; said means being mounted below the surface of the work support with its slitting edges perpendicular to the normal line of feed.

6. In a folding machin-e, the combination.v with folding instrumentalities, of means for slitting the edge to be folded; said means Comprising a shearing block set in the work support, a movable knife plate mounted below the work supportand normally in an inoperative position, the slitting edges of said block and said knife plate being transverse to the normal line of feed, and means for operating` said knife plate.

7. Ina folding machine, the combination,

Vwith a workssupport, of a slitting device comprising a fixed shearing member and a movable shearing member, both of said members being mounted below the top surface of said worksupport with their shearing edges perpendicular to the normal line of feed, and manually-operated means for operating said movable member independently of the operation of the machine, for cutting a slit in the edge of the material being operated upon.

S. In a folding machine, the combination, with a work support of a slitting device, two shearing members, one iiXed and the other movable, both of said members being mounted below the surface of said support with .their shearing edges transverse to the normal line of feed, and manually operated means for operating said movable member.

9. In a` folding machine, the combination with a work support of instrumentalities for folding a binding around the edge of a sheet of material, of two co-operating slitting members, one fixed and the other movable, and both mounted below the top surface of said work support withslitting edges transverse to the normal lineof feed and manually operated means foroperating said movable member to slit.

10. In a folding machine, the combination, with a work-supportand instrumentalities for folding a binding around the edge of other material, of two co-operating slitting members, one fixed and the other movable and both mounted below the top surface of Vsaid work-support, a lever pivotally mount# spring `for holding; said lever in an inoperative position, and'manually-operated means for moving said lever toV Cutting position against the tension of'said spring.

ll. In a folding machine, the combination, with a Work-support and folding instrumentalities, of two oo-operating shearing members mounted below the top surface of said work-support, a spring for holding said members normally in Closed position, and manually-operated means for opening' said members against the tension of said spring.

12. In a folding machine, the Combination,with a Work-support and folding instrumentahties, vof two co-operating shearing members mounted below the topsurfaoe of said Work-support, one of .said members beingy adjustable in relation to the other, a spring for holding said members normally in closed position, and manually-op'erated means for opening said members; said spring 

